The shadow of my sword and the wind of Mutia’s hammer blended. The apostles didn’t just stand by and watch the two of us. “Don’t let the king of heretics get away!” After standing back up on their feet, the apostles charged one by one. What lay in their eyes wasn’t madness, nor was it mere fanaticism. It was their loyalty to their goddess and the righteous wish to repay her blessings. They burned fiercely in the apostles’ eyes. Google seaʀᴄh 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩·𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖·𝘯𝘦𝘵 “Impressive,” I marveled. “But I warned you.” I swung my sword. The five swords bit into their targets like blank venomous snakes. Their eyes, vocal cords, napes, internal organs—the woundless pain was inflicted on only the parts that humans couldn’t endure. Horrific screams followed every time my swords flew in the air. That was not all. I remembered the areas where I had inflicted pain on the apostles. Every time they gritted their teeth, suppressed their groans, and charged, I struck the same areas with precision, cutting them in the same place again and again. “Aaaaaah, ugh! Ah, ah—” More screams followed. As Mutia and I exchanged attacks, shouts filled the air around us. “You’re fighting so efficiently that it’s terrifying,” Mutia commented sarcastically. I returned the sarcasm. “I don’t think it’s as efficient as ganging up on one person.” “Surprisingly, many humans insist on not killing. However, you don’t just not kill. Your attacks leave pain worse than death. Perhaps that is the path you are taking to climb the Tower.” “It’s touching that you care about humans. If you had shown that same compassion to the wedding guests that Goldencup attacked, it would have been more moving.” “They weren’t my followers,” she answered. “I saw your first, second, and third aces. Is that all?” I parried Mutia’s strike and charged forward. “Even if you’re one of the brightest Constellations in the Milky Way, your brilliance doesn’t come from your martial prowess.” Mutia attacked while I dodged. “Even if your apostles boast about their martial arts skills, that’s only possible because of their Unscathed Body. They’re nothing but people who rush forward because they believe they won’t get injured. However, I can inflict pain on anyone, so they’re no match for me.” I swung my five swords all at once. The swords formed a black storm that devastated the area. The apostles let out short screams as they flew far away. Dozens of them were thrown against the amphitheater’s walls and scattered across the sedimentary rocks. “I’m the leader of murim’s demonic cult that has been fighting for thousands of years with the sole purpose of embracing the Demonic Heaven in our swords.” Some of the apostles didn’t fly away, although they were pushed back a little. They gritted their teeth and held on. Some struck the ground with hammers to withstand the pressure. Impressive. I swung four of my swords at them, swiftly stabbing each one in turn. I said, “My teacher severed a snow peak with a single stroke of her sword. My son, who is also my student, conquered the continent with his bare hands. My daughter, who also serves as my advisor, can split the ground with a single strike. Also, my clan shadow can cut down a spire of the Magic Tower with a single sword strike.” No more apostles could endure this any longer. [The Constellations watching the battle gasp.] [The Lonely Seeker is silent.] [The Eternal Plains Warhorse is silent.] [The Incarnation of Love and Lust is silent.] Amid an artificially created hell, I stood tall and gazed down at the Constellation on the ground. “Lastly, I’m the Sword Emperor’s heir, so I’ll ask you. Is this all?” I smiled. “If not, please write your surrender. I’ll give you my pen as a memento.” Mutia bared her canines. “How dare you! I’ll destroy your very existence!” The Constellation's golden eyes blazed, turning red. [The Ruin-Harvesting Cow invokes the vow with the Tower.] [Requesting the holy ground designation.] [The request has been approved.] [As of now, the Ruin-Harvesting Cow owns the area.] [She is the destroyer and recreator. All hail.] The apostles who had been thrown against the cliff, kneeling in agony, and even those spitting out their last drops of blood joined in the chorus. “She is the destroyer and recreator. All hail!” “She is the destroyer and recreator. All hail!” “She is the destroyer and recreator. All hail!” By the time the apostles praised their goddess for the third time... [The Ruin-Harvesting Cow has activated her power.] ... every bone inside me shattered. It was a familiar sensation of my muscles and blood vessels being unable to withstand my aura, leading to my bones shattering. I immediately reduced the amount of aura flowing through my body, attempting to adapt to the pain, but it wasn’t necessary. Most of the aura that had been coursing through my veins vanished in an instant. —Kim Zombie, you’re old now! All the strength drained from my body. I could have asked the Guardian to repeat that so I could understand what he meant, but instead of wasting time with questions, I accepted the Guardian’s words and looked at my reflection in my sword’s blade. “I see.” The voice that came out from my mouth was clearly mine, but for some reason, it sounded a little old. “So this is how it works.” The sword was as transparent as a mirror, reflecting an elderly man. The memories that flashed through my mind, like a broken tape recorder, played the same thing over and over again. “Ruin-Harvesting Cow is Mutia,” the Inquisitor had told me at some point. “Mainly oversees destruction and recreation.” Those words had left a lasting impression on me. Not because they were impressive, but because they had left an unanswered question. “Her power is simple but great.” Why destruction and recreation? Destruction was simple and evident. Goldencup used to swing a hammer and smash everything in sight; she had been the very embodiment of a destroyer. But what about recreation? “Her power is simple but great.” Which side of Goldencup that she had shown was recreation? Then I realized what was both destruction and recreation in this universe—regression or time itself. “Mainly oversees destruction and recreation.” Yes, I didn’t need to find Goldencup’s recreation side. She had escaped from the future where Raviel had become the empress. After she had returned to the past, Goldencup seduced the crown prince as a mere baron’s daughter. That was a recreation of life in itself. After finishing my brief recollection and quick deduction, I looked at Mutia. “Time ceaselessly destroys and recreates itself. Is time manipulation your power, Lady Mutia?” My voice showed how much of my time had passed. “You truly live up to your reputation,” the Constellation of Gold muttered. Unlike before, when it had been tinged with sarcasm, there was now genuine admiration in her voice. “The sword you swing is sharp, but not as sharp as your mind.” “No wonder your followers and apostles are so loyal.” Yes, everything made sense now. I lowered my sword and looked around. “These are the ones who made wishes to you. Their wishes weren’t about becoming rich or healthy. They all shared a single desire: to return to the past. Everyone gathered here is a regressor.” “Indeed!” Mutia laughed, tightening her grip on the hammer. Time was as valuable as gold in this universe. Befitting her power, the goddess who ruled over time slicked back her golden hair. “I am the harvester of ruins! I promise a new harvest season to humans who have nothing left but debris. I am the goddess who brings fruition!” The heavens and earth shook. “King of Heretics, I—the ruler of reincarnation and keeper of eternity—am Mutia!” The sedimentary rock layers shook like a dancing tail. “Kneel before me, you lowly vermin!” [The Ruin-Harvesting Cow has activated the Eternal Cycle.] [Your timeline has been altered.] [Your potential has been fixed.] “Return to the ruins you came from!” The world transformed. —If you hadn’t met the Sword Star, The history I had been writing was quaking. —If you hadn’t met the Sword Emperor. The Guardian, who had always been joking and messing with me, suddenly vanished. The fortunes I was granted disappeared one by one, replaced by the possibilities of an unfortunate timeline. —If you hadn’t met the Inquisitor. —If you hadn’t met the Viper. —If you hadn’t met the Countess. —If you hadn’t met the Paladin. —If you hadn’t met the Black Witch. Like layers of sediment being peeled away, my time was erased line by line. —If you hadn’t met the Goddess of Protection. The holy sword in my hand disappeared, and so did the shadows that had been guarding me. —If you hadn’t met the peony that bloomed in winter. The aura pulsing through my veins faded away even more. —If you hadn’t met the Fire Emperor. Even the strength in my muscles vanished without a trace. —If you had simply grown old and withered away. Before I knew it, the scenery around me became desolate. —If you hadn’t become the Death King. I was in ruins. After a closer look, I realized that this was Babylon’s slums. Did fire destroy it? There were no proper buildings. I—an old man—had made my home in an empty area. The tent I had set up was between chipped pillars. A stained toothbrush, a paper cup that had turned yellow, a crumpled cigarette pack, and other old junk, not even worth keeping as antiques, surrounded me. “I’ll say it again,” Mutia said. Still, the junk wasn’t as pathetic as I was. My hands had never held a sword. I had never stood on my feet and climbed the Tower. My heart had never tasted victory. Before me, coughing weakly, stood the Constellation of Gold as she declared, “Make a contract with me and return to the past, before you dared to kill my child, King of Heretics. Abandon the throne and your arrogance. Admit how great the power of time is. Then I shall forgive you.” I coughed and smiled. “What a pity.” “What do you mean? Do you regret your arrogance?” “No...” I answered weakly. A cry rang out from somewhere. “Because the first opponent I’ve ever beaten and killed...” At the foot of the Constellation, there was a golden fox cub. Mutia’s eyes widened. —If you hadn’t met your Constellation... “I’m sorry,” the fox said. “There will never be such a scenario.” “I’ve decided to dream of Mr. Gong-Ja’s reality.” The clock turned back. [Your Exclusive Music Box is using Endless Universe.] [The universe is vast, but not so vast that music cannot resonate.] [I may be small, but I’m enough to play your song.] [My universe plays only for you.] A sandstorm blew. Pillars of ruins, antiques, and every trace of life were swept away by the desert of time until nothing remained. Mutia looked around in confusion. “What?” My fox god smiled. “My power has been reduced to a worthless relic by Mr. Gong-Ja, but I at least can protect his reality. Get lost, cowhead. His time is mine. Peep.” I stroked the fox wrapped around my neck like a scarf. Beside me, the Guardian still had his arms crossed. In my hand, I still clenched the holy sword. My feet were on the sixty-second floor, and my heart still beat for victory. I smiled because I was still who I was. “Alright. Shall we wrap this up, Mutia?”